First mini human brains created to help better understand mental disorders

Washington, Aug 29 (ANI): Scientists have grown the first mini human brains in a laboratory, which could lead to new levels of understanding about the way brains develop.

The research will also help study what goes wrong in disorders like schizophrenia and autism, Fox News reported.

Researchers based in Austria started with human stem cells and created a culture in the lab that allowed them to grow into so-called "cerebral organoids" - or mini brains - that consisted of several distinct brain regions.

It is the first time that scientists have managed to replicate the development of brain tissue in three dimensions.

Using the organoids, the scientists were then able to produce a biological model of how a rare brain condition called microcephaly develops - suggesting the same technique could in future be used to model disorders like autism or schizophrenia that affect millions of people around the world. (ANI)

--

Get stories like this on the Yahoo app and discover more every day.Download it now.